Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-05-13
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON. April 80, 1887.

Regular correspondent.
WASHINGTON, April 29, 1887.
When Washington is rather dull
Congress absent, and no really news
accessible, your correspondent is ex-
cusable for writing about things that
are talked about whether or not they
are new or important. May will be
one of the gayest and merriest oi
months in Washington, but April has
not been SO at all. Society is com
tlaratively quiet except when it oc-
casionally INDUCES in a paper hunt
its latest I" fad" which is $50 English
you know" The White House is quiet
Mrs. Cleveland hasn't been doing OF
saying anything that was very re-
markable of late, and the gossip about
President Cleveland's second term
has entirely subsided for the pre-
sent.
An effort was made recently to in.
duce the President to recommend to
Congress the purchase of some paint.
ngs by a foreign artist, which have
been hanging in the Executive Man.
ZION for several years. Mr.. Cleveland
is an official who proposes to attend
strictly only to his own legitimate bus.
ness and duties, and he was trifle
indignant at this suggestion. He did
aot enter into the question of the de.
sirability of the pictures from an artis-
tic standpoint, but declined positively
to say anything to Congress on the
subject on the ground that it was moi
an affair calling for the action of the
President.
Congressman O'Neil, of Missouri, re-
Gently said that he wished most heart
lily some law could be passed by which
Congressional influence in securing
appointment could be universally done
away with. Said he, the bane of a
Congressmans existence is the cease.
less application for Office from every
Tom, Dick and John who voted fol
him." He said some of them can be
reasoned with and made to understand
that thousand men can't be appoint.
ed to ten offices, but it takes valuable
time and attention to convince them
Others, usually those who have the
least right to expect anything, can't
appreciate reasoning, and have to be
refused fatty; then they never forgive
you, and only wait for an opportunity
to give you a stab in the dark. He
thought it was quite enough to disgust
a man with Congressional life.
Until recently there were two men
in the Postofice Department Zone has
died within the past few days. who
tend to prove that republics are CRATE
full after all, and that to the victors dc
not belong exclusively the spoils
They were appointed to Office fifty
seven years ago during Andrew Jack
sons first term, and have served con-
tinuously since, and under thirty-one
different Postmasters General. The
veteran clerk who has just died was
fairly efficient until the time of his
last illness. The one who remains il
distinguished for having administered
the oath of office to every Postmaster
General for fifty years.
This reminds me of the proposed
establishment of a civil pension list fol
the benefit of Government employees
who have spent thirty or more years
at their desks. but which, with so many
hundreds of other bills more deserving
died with the expiring Congress.
Instead Of devising schemes for pro.
longing the tenure of Office and offer.
ing men inducements to seek employ.
ent in the Executive Departments by
the assurance of provision for theil
support when incapacitated for further
duty by age or infirmity, it would be
far better for Congress to set fixed
limit to terms of official service. There
are positions under the Government
requiring special training to which this
principle of rotation would not apply
because of the difficulty of filling va
cancies with men of the required ex.
perience. But what valid reason
would the Government have for taking
upon itself the lifelong charge of those
whom it hires to do its merely clerical
work and who of their own option en-.
gage to do it.
The very worst thing the Govern.
ment can do for the young men of the
country is to tempt them with its sub.
ordinate clerkships, on guaranty ol
retiring them on a pension thirty
forty or fifty years after. No man
should want to sit at department
desk and copy letters or add up figures
for Il whole lifetime. He owes some.
thing more to himself than to enter
upon such a condition of petty servi
tude SOldiers ara pansiopaJ for tbe
sacrifices they have made-the brave
defense OF country they voluntarily un
dertook-the blood they shed, the
limbs they lost, the shattered frames
they bore out Of battle. But here the
pension system should stop. Dem.
A DAILY chicken train has beer
| started on the peuuayIva po;I.o.J